Tracker season 3 episode 8 ending explained: What is the truth behind Aubrey's disappearance?

Tracker season 3 episode 8, titled Eurydice, premieres on Sunday, December 7, 2025. This episode brings Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) face-to-face with one of his most emotionally charged cases yet.

As the episode begins, Colter Shaw is thrust into a year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a young girl, Aubrey Allen. The mystery begins with a mother's desperate search for her daughter, which only becomes more disturbing as Colter uncovers secrets long buried.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Tracker season 3, episode 8. Reader's discretion is required.

The truth behind Aubrey's disappearance is that her grandfather, Arthur Poness, secretly took her after her uncle Derek kidnapped her, hoping to protect her from the abuse she would have faced. Arthur and his wife Iris kept Aubrey hidden, telling her that her mother had died to shield her from the trauma of the truth.

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A mother's guilt and a cold case in Tracker season 3 episode 8

A detailed recap of Tracker season 3 episode 8 (Image via CBS)

Episode 8 begins with a haunting scene: Sierra Allen (Jessica Sipos), a mother who's been sober for nearly a year, wakes up in a panic. Her daughter, Aubrey, is missing, and she’s in a frantic search to find her. After a year, Colter Shaw arrives in town on a recommendation from his old buddy Liz.

Since the police have abandoned up, Sierra turned to Colter in her desperate search for her daughter. Sierra still grieves and knows her daughter may not be found, but Colter may be her only hope.

Colter discovers Aubrey's favorite dress, bloodstained in Sierra's backyard. Sierra's drunkenness and the dress's unsettling reminder of the lost kid complicate matters. Detective Tyson West (Franco Lo Presti) believes Sierra is responsible for her daughter's disappearance. Colter persists in finding the truth. His inquiry reveals a terrible connection to the missing youngster and a local family.

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Colter Shaw’s search for clues

After meeting Sierra, Colter sees suspicious case information. Sierra's backyard outfit is too crucial to ignore. The police suspect Sierra helped her daughter disappear, but Colter focuses on the facts. He has a feeling there's more.

IT expert Randy (Chris Lee) helps Colter hack security footage from a nearby camera. A teen in a "Captain Calabash" hoodie bikes nearby. Colter investigates and discovers a darker mystery about Spencer Flint (Colin O'Brien) and his father, Trevor Flint (Brett Zimmerman).

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Unraveling the Flint family secrets

A detailed recap of Tracker season 3 episode 8 (Image via CBS)

Colter's Flint family research reveals a terrible connection to Aubrey's disappearance. Spencer, afraid of his father, says Trevor may have kidnapped Aubrey. Spencer helps Colter find the truth because he fears Trevor, a vicious criminal.

Colter finds Trevor and confronts him, only to discover that Trevor's brother Derek, who has been missing for a year, may affect Aubrey's fate. Trevor claims he doesn't know where Derek is, but Colter and Tyson find Aubrey's shoe and hair in Derek's shed, suggesting he took her and disguised her.

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The discovery of Derek’s fate

Colter discovers a sad find at a rundown port while searching for Derek. He lifts a crab trap from the ocean using a hook and pulley and finds the skeleton of a guy missing two fingers—the same digits Trevor chopped off years earlier.

Colter solves the puzzle and concludes Derek Flint is dead. Derek's death may have been caused by a bungled handoff, including someone else in Aubrey's disappearance. As Colter investigates, he learns more disturbing facts about the Flint family and their apparent conspiracy.

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Arthur Poness and the family mystery

A detailed recap of Tracker season 3 episode 8 (Image via CBS)

Colter discovers a stunning link between Aubrey's disappearance and retired investigator Arthur Poness (Gareth Williams), who has been advising on the investigation. Colter learns that Arthur is Aubrey's grandfather and involved in the investigation.

Arthur and Iris took Aubrey when Derek kidnapped her to shield her from Derek's atrocities. Arthur and Iris told Aubrey her mother died to spare her the trauma of the truth. However, as Colter pushes back, Arthur's desperation to hide Aubrey becomes evident, and the episode ends with a heated docks confrontation.

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Aubrey’s return

Tracker season 3 episode 8 ends with Colter confronting Arthur and Iris as they depart with Aubrey. Colter disarms Arthur and rescues Aubrey after a difficult standoff. Sierra reunites with her daughter, but the past scars remain, revealing the tragic truth.

Sierra is reassured by Colter that her past mistakes don't define her future. The episode closes on a melancholy note, prompting viewers to question Arthur and Iris' morality as they loved their granddaughter yet denied her the truth about her parents.

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Tracker season 3 airs Sundays on CBS and is available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.